


Define: torturous

by ShirosRedKnight (SweetFanfics)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Mutual Pining, Nude tanning, Sexual Tension, a plan gone kind of wrong but it all ends well, flirty shiro, keith has a crisis, keith's dick has a crisis, mild misunderstanding, mildly oblivious keith, self indulgent af, shiro doesn't have tan lines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-11
Updated: 2017-06-11
Packaged: 2018-11-13 00:56:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11173653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetFanfics/pseuds/ShirosRedKnight
Summary: torturouspronounciation: ˈtɔːtʃ(ə)rəs/adjectivedefinition: characterized by, involving, or causing pain or suffering.example: Keith thoughtlessly glanced over at Shiro as he pulled his underwear off and immediately realized his best friend slash crush didn't haveanytan lines.





	Define: torturous

**Author's Note:**

> This fic gave me so much trouble for _months_. But it's finally done now. I think I was inspired to write this on the basis of a throwaway comment I'd made? Someone else had made? Anyways, it made me go "WOW I really want to write Keith having an existential crisis over the fact that gorgeous, tanned Shiro has no tan lines so SURELY he MUST tan _nude_!!!"

Hands braced against the grimy sink, Keith stares his reflection down and tells himself he can do this. He must get through the rest of the evening. His friendship with Shiro depends on it. So no matter what happens, he’s going to keep his cool, keeps his feelings tightly under wrap, and not pop a boner.

 

Keith exhales, dropping his head down. He stares at the small towel wrapped around his hips and mutters, “How am I going to do this?”

 

This being walk out of this small shack in the middle of nowhere and lie down on a beach towel next to a completely naked Shiro soaking up the sun rays without staring at Shiro's nudity _or_ popping a boner. There’s a definite twinge of interest at the last thought and Keith has to close his eyes. But that doesn’t help because his brain immediately reminds him that as he’d rushed inside to take his clothes off, Shiro had casually begun stripping a couple of feet away from the bike they’d rode in on.

 

A frown and a headshake and the image of Shiro’s abs being kissed by the sun is flicked out of focus. Keith whispers, “He’s your best friend. Don’t mess this up Keith. _Don’t_ mess this up.”

 

The deep instinctive feeling that he relies on while riding his hover bike and running through simulations warns him that may not be possible. The currently situation like a stakes game of poker. No. That’s not right. It’s more like a house of cards. Every step that’s led him to this moment is a thin card propped up against another. And the events that follow just might be the gust of air that’ll send everything falling down.

 

If only he hadn’t realized his feelings for Shiro were turning romantic. If only he hadn’t given into temptation and let his eyes slide over to Shiro when they were in the changing room. If only his brain hadn’t immediately processed the lack of tan lines on Shiro’s body as he’d pulled his underwear off. If only he hadn’t made a choking noise that caught Shiro’s attention.

 

 _If only. If only_ , Keith bemoans. _If only I’d looked away that_.

 

There’s a guilty part of him that disagrees with the notion. There’s a very small part of him, equal parts flustered and happily embarrassed, that’s glad he hadn’t looked away because he’d gotten to see Shiro’s soft dick. Keith groans in embarrassment, remembering how he’d just stared at Shiro’s crotch before asking in utter bewilderment if Shiro tanned naked.

 

Keith exhales, looking back up at his reflection. “What’s done is done,” he tells himself firmly. “I can’t change that. I’ll just have to make the most of it and not do anything stupid.”

 

Easier said than done but saying it aloud helped bolster his resolve. He was going to make it out of this nudie sun tanning evening without doing anything stupid. All he had to do was keep his eyes to himself and make sure he didn’t get burned.

 

 _Sure. And the whole time you need to not think about how Shiro’s lying naked next to you or how nice Shiro’s soft dick looks or all the times you jerked off imagining how he’d look totally hard. And you also have to not think about the way Shiro’s thighs had felt against his legs on the drive here_.

 

With an angry scowl, Keith throws the bathroom door open and stomps out. But he finds himself faltering halfway through the living room. Keith pads towards the window and peeks out. Shiro’s lying on his stomach, skin glistening. That in itself is so peculiar that Keith forgets for a moment that he’s got a clear view of Shiro’s butt.

 

 _Did he sweat that hard?_ Keith wonders, nose almost against the glass as he tries to figure out why Shiro is, for the lack of a better wore, glistening.

 

And then Shiro rolls over on his back. Heat burns under his skin as he takes in the glorious sight before he hurriedly pulls back, wondering if Shiro’d caught sight of him at the window. He tries to reassure himself that that’s not possible. Shiro hadn’t looked his way at all.

 

But then he remembers the way Shiro’s been acting for a week or so. The extra touches and how they linger. The way their usual gym sessions have involved too much close contact. Keith closes his eyes at the memory of the time Shiro had pinned him, face down, against the mats, crotch snug against Keith’s ass. The pleased cockiness in his eyes when he’d seen Keith staring at his naked body. And of course, there was this invitation itself.

 

When he puts all that together, Keith’s suspicion that Shiro’s teasing him only continues to strength. In fact, it needles an additional worry of _how does Shiro know_? What had Keith done that had tipped Shiro off?

 

Alongside his worry, there’s another hopeful seed that has sprouted out of concrete and is ready to bloom under the right stimuli. Keith suspects that Shiro likes him in return. After all, Shiro’s not the kinda guy who’d do what he’s doing with _anyone_. In fact, he’d even said that the shack is his best kept secret that only Keith is privy too. So obviously Keith is special.

 

So if he stacks all these points together, then the obvious conclusion _has_ to be that Shiro likes him. Right?

 

 _You’re overthinking this_. Keith wearily scrubs his hands down his face while grumbling to himself, “All that nudity isn't letting me think straight.”

 

Making sure that his towel is tucked in tight, Keith steps outside. As the door creaks open, Shiro sleepily raises his head to watch Keith approach. The cheeky aviators wink at Keith, giving the other man a distinctly rakish/playboy look when he smirks. “I didn’t think you were the modest type.”

 

Keith rolls his eyes, pulls the towel off, balls it up, and tosses it at Shiro’s smug face before he realizes the mistake he’s made.

 

Shiro laughs, “Totally uncalled for.”

 

To stop himself from dying in mortification, Keith holds his head up high and sits down on the towel laid out next to Shiro and tries not to think about how he’s totally naked. It’s not like they haven’t been naked around each other - they’ve changed next to each other in the gym locker room. But this is different.

 

Shiro’s eyes are hidden from him. Consequently, there’s a flash of a second where he wonders if Shiro’s checking him out. It takes every piece of self control he’s earned over 19 years to stop himself from reacting in _any_ way.  He realizes that if he were to stretch his arm out, he’d hit Shiro. Which he does because Shiro can’t stop sniggering at him.

 

“Ow! You keep that up and I won’t share the tanning oil with you.”

 

Tanning oil? That explains all the glistening. And just like that, Keith’s staring at Shiro’s shiny butt and tries not to imagine Shiro oiling himself up. Oh _God_ , he’s the absolute worst person to ever exist. What kind of a jerk lusts after his friend like this? Only the worst kind. The _very_ worst.

 

Keith contemplates suffocating himself by pressing his face hard enough against the terrycloth and decides it probably won’t work. But they _are_ out in the desert. There’s got to be a good cliff to throw himself off within walking distance.

 

 _Stop being so damn over dramatic_ , a voice sensibly tells him. But it’s immediately drowned out by the louder cacophony of voices moaning over how he’s disrespecting Shiro, how Shiro’s too damn attractive, and oh how he wishes that he had the courage to bridge this gap between them and _act_ on his feelings.

 

Shiro stretches with all the languid grace of a sleek cat. Keith hurriedly looks away, telling himself to get a grip and stop being so damn gross. He’s going to stop letting his libido and temptation get the better of him. He’s a better person than this _surely_. That decided, Keith tells himself he’s going to just keep his head down, sleep, roll over in another 10 minutes, and try not to fall asleep and risk getting burned.

 

The dull sound of a zipper opening is a happy sound that pulls Keith’s attention back. Shiro pulls a small bottle out of his bag before he lightly shakes it at Keith, “Want?”

 

The rays catch on the dark lens of Shiro’s sunglasses. That, coupled with the tiny smirk he directs at Keith while humming makes Keith want to avert his gaze. Again he thinks that Shiro knows _exactly_ the effect he’s having on Keith and is _enjoying_ seeing Keith squirm. The _ass_.

 

Keith can’t help woefully wish he could get his towel back but his pride keeps him from asking. So he sighs and takes the small bottle out of Shiro’s hand. Keith notes the SPF note on the pale bottle before snapping it open.

 

He tips a decent amount of the slick liquid into his palm, closes the bottle, and begins to rub it into his skin, starting from his arms. Next he slicks up his chest, hips, thighs, legs, before trying to get the oil on his back as best as he can. But a quiet laugh from Shiro makes him glare at the other man, daring him to make some kind of comment.

 

But rather than cracking some joke about how even Keith’s flexibility has its limits, Shiro asks, “Want some help putting that oil on your back?”

 

Keith’s dart to Shiro’s gaze. It’s carefully neutral with the barest hint of a smile on the lips. Just a friendly offer made by one friend to another. It doesn’t mean anything.

 

 _Probably_.

 

But the offer is an accelerant to the flames of his desire. He throat goes dry, impulsiveness taking the lead to offer the bottle back as he lowly, but  roughly, says, “Yeah, please.”

 

Breathing shallow, Keith lies down on his belly and tries not to let his imagination run away from him. With his cheek on the back of his hand, Keith sees Shiro kneeling beside him out of the corner of his eye. To prevent further tempting thoughts from being birthed, Keith closes his eyes.

 

Shiro’s hands touch his back and Keith’s control begins to crumble. He bites his bottom lip to keep the pleasant sighs at bay because Shiro’s hands feel _wonderful_.

 

“Like that?” Shiro asks in a low, pleased tone.

 

Keith nods in return, letting a pained noise out when Shiro kneads at a particularly stiff knot of muscles. As Shiro’s hands steadily move down his back, Keith’s imagination runs wild. He holds his breath and waits for those broad, rough palms to massage the sun-hot oil into his buttocks. Keith bites the tip of his tongue and is grateful his hardening dick is hidden from Shiro’s sight.

 

He wants more. He understands he’s flirting with danger hoping for such a thing. Keith squeezes his eyes shut and tells himself to get a grip. Tells himself that under no circumstances is he going to give into his desire to turn around and kiss Shiro.

 

“All done,” Shiro says to send his dreams floating away.

 

Disappointment, along with hot desert air, fills his lungs. Keith licks his dry lips, takes a few more breaths to pull himself together before whispering back his thanks. The worst is over he tells himself.

He feels a soft tap against his head. Body jerking, Keith’s eyes fly open and up. Shiro grins down at him, charmingly boyish, “Mind returning the favor?”

 

He shouldn’t. For so many reasons, Keith knows _he shouldn’t_.

 

And yet he takes the bottle dangling from Shiro’s fingertips and asks, “Just the back?”

 

Shiro hums in agreement and lies back down. With his heart pounding heavily in his ears, Keith follows. He stares at the sight of his crush lying so peacefully there, waiting for his  touch, and wonders what to do.

 

Where should he sit? Ought he kneel by the side like Shiro had? It would be easier for him if he knelt on Shiro’s hips but that might make his dick press against Shiro’s ass if he leaned forward.

 

_How good would that feel? To lean forward, brush a kiss against Shiro’s shoulder and taste the oil. I’d press my hips against Shiro’s ass, rub my dick against his cheeks. Ask him if it’s okay to do more. He’d sigh-_

 

 _Stay on the side_ , Keith tells himself, shifting closer even as he uncaps the bottle. He pours a dime-sized amount into his left palm before putting the bottle down. His eyes dart over Shiro’s back before deciding to start with the shoulders, same way Shiro had.

 

He wants to say he falls into an easy rhythm of massaging the oil in but the truth of the matter would be that Keith is mesmerized. He’s greedily focusing his entire energy on burning this memory into the deepest recesses of his brain. Keith doesn’t ever want to forget the silky heat of Shiro’s skin against his palms.

 

“You’re good at this,” Shiro praises him with a long sigh.

 

Keith’s face burns as he mumbles, “Thanks.” If he lets the circles he’s rubbing into Shiro’s back become just _half an inch_ bigger, his fingertips could touch the other man’s butt. He’d be sweeping over the top curve of the firm glutes and _really_ flirt with danger.

 

And if that’s not the signal that he needs to stop then Keith’s a pretty poor judge of c-

 

“Can you go lower?”

 

Keith _stares_ at the back of Shiro’s head and asks, “ _What?_ ”

 

Shiro _squeezes_ his glutes and almost sends Keith into cardiac arrest there and then. “Could you do my ass too.”

 

To say that all of his systems have a sudden and inexplicable meltdown would be a fair assessment of Keith’s mental and emotional state in the moment. He _stares_ at Shiro with his mouth falling open because Keith’s not sure if he’s in the middle of some hyper realistic dream all of a sudden.

 

He’s about to pinch himself and double check if this is reality when Shiro turns his head just so. With one hand, he lowers his glasses an inch and peers up at Keith. Thanks to his vantage point, Keith manages to catch the edge of Shiro’s teasing smirk and that’s when he _knows_.

 

Shiro knows Keith likes him and he’s toying with him.

 

His desire caves in on itself, turning into an angry inferno that pushes him up to his feet. Keith forgets his nudity, Shiro’s nudity, where they are. Embarrassment crashes against the deep sensation of betrayal and yet his voice doesn’t go higher than its usual tone.

 

“Stop jerking me around Shiro.”

 

The aviators are off. Startled (and scared) gray eyes meet his as Shiro scrambles up to his feet.

 

“Keith,” he starts but Keith cuts him off.

 

“I can’t believe you’d be _that_ asshole who’d toy with someone’s feelings like this!” Shiro tries to reach out to him, shaking his head. But Keith steps back out of his reach. Something about the desperate expression taking over Shiro’s face cracks Keith’s anger in half. It makes his voice break when he asks, “If you knew how I feel about you why’d you turn it into this whole drama? Why’d you so this Shiro?”

 

Helplessly, Shiro answers, “I didn’t mean to! I never wanted to hurt you! I just. I wanted to tease you a little bit. I thought that... I thought that if I teased you then you’d get the hint that I liked you too and you’d... _do_ something.”

 

“Why didn’t you just _said_ something?”

 

But Shiro’s still rambling, tripping over his own words. “You started acting all awkward around me and I wasn’t sure why you were acting weird until I saw you stared at my ass and I wondered if you were attracted to me or something. So I thought I’d tease you a little to see if you thought I was hot or if you liked me the way I liked you but then your reactions were so cute and you kept trying to be _you_ that I got carried away and-”

 

Keith has to press his fingers against Shiro’s lips to make him stop. They blink at each other in astonishment for a couple of startled heart beats where they both process what Shiro’s shared before Keith slowly lowers his hand.

 

Unsure what part of Shiro’s confession to start with, Keith starts with the safest, and most obvious question, “You like me?”

 

Shiro’s eyes dart away, looking at everything and anything but Keith before he finally sighs, “Yeah.”

 

“Why didn’t you say something? If you thought that I liked you why didn’t you ask me that?”

 

A new color floods Shiro’s face. He finally meets Keith’s gaze and asks, “Would you’ve done that if our positions were reversed?” Keith thinks about it before blanching a little at the idea of confronting Shiro about his feelings. Shiro cracks a wry smile at his expression, “I did think about it but I was too scared I might be wrong. So I thought I’d... get “proof” that you liked me. That’s where the teasing part came in. I guess I got carried away with it.”

 

“Good guess,” Keith answers, brain helpfully reminding him that they’re both stark naked. His eyes immediately want to dart down between them to check Shiro out again but Keith _somehow_ manages to keep his eyes up. “I uh... guess we should get dressed?”

 

Shiro glances down and Keith tries not to feel _too_ self conscious. He gets something to focus on when Shiro looks up with a smirk. “Or we could stay like this? Keep tanning?”

 

Narrowing his eyes into slits, Keith stares at the other and and wonders aloud, “Are you always like this with the people you like? I’d heard rumors that you were a total playboy but I thought they were lies.”

 

“Only with the people I _really_ like.”

 

Oh how he wants to hide his face in his palm thanks to the flirtatious look Shiro gives him. Flustered and unused to being in this situation, Keith lightly shoves the other man away before stammering, “I’m going back in and putting my pants on.”

 

“That’ll give you tan lines,” Shiro points out but Keith hurries back to the shack. It’s not beating a hasty retreat, it’s just... taking a break for his face to cool down.

 

As he takes the front door handle into hand, the conversation finally sinks in. A silly grin pulls his lips up, up, up with happiness. The same giddy feeling has him turning around to double check if Shiro’s still there. Shiro starts, eyes guiltily darting away at having been caught staring at Keith’s bare butt before immediately coming back to meet Keith’s amused gaze with a sheepish grin.

 

Keith points at the clothes pile next to Shiro’s blanket but Shiro makes a face. “I don’t want tan lines!” he whines.

 

“I’ll lie there with you if we both keep our underwear on _or_ you can tan by yourself, naked.”

 

The face Shiro makes at his choice has chuckles bubbling up Keith’s chest. “Your choice.” he says before stepping back into the shack.

**Author's Note:**

> (Shiro opts to put his underwear on and they tan together as they talk. Shiro's mildly sulky than he's got some tan lines now but Keith likes to touch them and kiss them so he's _eventually_ okay with them lol)


End file.
